Mindy Kaling on the End of THE MINDY PROJECT

After six seasons and 117 episodes on Fox and Hulu, THE MINDY PROJECT came to an end on Tuesday when the series finale dropped. The show was also the first American sitcom created by and starring an Indian American–Mindy Kaling.

The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Kaling about saying good-bye to the series and what she has up next (which is a lot–everything from NBC’s upcoming comedy CHAMPION to a role in Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of A WRINKLE IN TIME):

“The great thing about right now in television and film is you don’t really have to choose. That wasn’t even the case seven or 10 years ago,” she says, pointing to her Wrinkle in Time co-star and recent Mindy Project guest star Reese Witherspoon. “For me, especially since I’m eight months pregnant now, it’s really a gift to be able to bounce back and forth from having creative control of something to being cast in something and letting someone else take control. That’s one of the nice parts of my career right now is I’m afforded that opportunity so I’d like to keep doing both as long as I can.”

Although it’s unclear when, or if, she’ll star in another TV series, Kaling is active on the development side. She’s exec producing several projects, including two comedies in development at NBC from Mindy Project writers Lang Fisher and Matt Warburton. She’s also working with Warburton on an anthology TV adaptation of the beloved 1994 romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral for Hulu.

“It’s just a completely different assignment. It’s longer, it can be much more cinematic,” she says. “Right now, it feels like the good thing about these short-order television shows for streaming platforms and cable is that you don’t need to tie yourself down to doing one thing for 11 months a year. You can bounce back and forth with a few different projects so you feel creatively fulfilled by doing a few different things.”

However, The Office veteran who spent eight seasons on the NBC mockumentary as a writer, actress and eventual executive producer, doesn’t rule out future projects on broadcast, as evidenced by Champions.

“Sitcoms have an enormous following and the values you have in a sitcom are liked by millions,” she says. “There’s a reason why millions and millions of people love the sitcom format and watch it every week. For me, it just depends on what I want to be focusing on.”

Kaling puts it best when discussing her career, saying, “I hope to be creating television shows as long as I’m alive.”

Six years ago I created a show called #TheMindyProject and got to play the lead. Not the sassy friend or nagging wife. It completely changed my life. 117 episodes later, it’s ending, on my own terms. That’s so rare, and I just want to say how grateful I am. Love forever, MK ❤️